THE EVOLUTION ROWDY

Athletes aren’t the only ones at McNeese State who have had their equipment stored away for the past few months due to the coronavirus.

Rowdy, the university’s ever present mascot, has also had his 10-gallon Cowboy hat packed away.

It’s not the first time for Rowdy to miss out on the action. Hurricanes have shelved Cowboy and Cowgirl athletic teams in past years, the last one that cancelled some games and took the game away from the home field being Rita.

However, this is the longest that athletics and Rowdy have had to take a seat.

It does appear that the path may be clearing with activity now on-going throughout our state and others.

Cowboy football coaches are now back in their offices and players are allowed volunteer workouts so Rowdy can’t be far behind in his rehearsal for the coming season.

The last time Rowdy was seen in action was the Cowboy basketball game on March 11 in Katy, Texas, at the Southland Conference post season tournament. That was the game in which the Cowboys were knocked out of the playoff, one day before the whistle blew stopping all action throughout the world.

So, while there is a pause in the action, perhaps we can take a few minutes to disclose how Rowdy came to be the Rowdy of now.

McNeese’s Rowdy didn’t always look like the current Rowdy and the reason for the appearance of the present Rowdy is Kay Doré, according to Joyce Patterson, the McNeese Alumni director, who probably knows more about the school mascot than anyone.

Cowboys and Cowgirls have always been the university’s sport nickname but Rowdy didn’t come along until 1982.

“Tommy Jeansonne was the first mascot for McNeese but he was not called Rowdy. He dressed as a Cowboy and rode a horse around the stadium, the horse having been given to the school by Dale Robertson (the television star who had been a featured performer at one of the rodeos that was held at the old McNeese arena annually),” she said.

That was in 1970 and the mascot continued to be a Cowboy like that until 1982.

“The first costumed Rowdy appeared Aug. 9, 1982. The costume was funded by the Alumni Association, Greeks, Student Union Board, Student Government, the athletic department and the development fund. A committee headed by Louis Riviere (then dean of students) selected the name of Rowdy (named after the TV character played by Clint Eastwood in the old Rawhide series) and selected the company that would make the entire costume,” Patterson said.

Jennifer Seibarth Davenport served as the first costumed Rowdy and among others to hold the role were Scott Doyle, Phil Hines, Mike Menard, Tomi Ann Hedrick Johnson, Charles Link and Billy Gage.

During the early years the exact costume — head and clothing — befitting the university could not be found and it was changed three times.

In 2002, Kay Doré approached the university about providing a new and better looking Rowdy and that was the key that allowed the Rowdy of today to evolve.

“None of this would have been possible if not for Kay Doré’s support and interest throughout the years,” Patterson said. “This new Rowdy has been beloved by children of all ages and we are especially proud to see him perform at each home game in Cowboy Stadium that Bill and Kay Doré have lovingly honored,” Patterson said.

Doré said, “I remember when Bill (husband) and I were living at Big Lake, I was going to class, taking art classes and I saw the mascot. It was real ugly. It was scary. I looked at a lot of other mascots around and they all seem to have happiness. I got in touch with Joyce and we looked at what was available and made it up. It turned out to be a really good thing. It is so entertaining for the kids. It is really positive and that was what I wanted. I just wanted to do something for the school and that was easy.”

Once the new Rowdy was in production, Patterson said that a media campaign was developed, Rowdy rags, coloring books and stickers were also produced.

The McNeese alumni association also endowed a $30,000 scholarship through the McNeese Foundation for the person who performs as the mascot.

Now, Rowdy waits with the rest of us, waiting for the next time he can take the field and do what he does best…..cheer on the Cowboys and the Cowgirls with his blue and gold duds and that happy Cowboy face.